1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printer, a cash drawer drive device, a control method for a cash drawer drive device, and a control program.
2. Related Art
POS systems used in retail stores, for example, generally have a POS terminal, a POS printer, and a cash drawer for holding money and equivalent instruments (referred to as simply “money” below) at the checkout counter. The cash drawer is connected to at least one of a cash drawer drive device, the POS terminal, or the POS printer. The lock that holds the drawer tray storing money secure inside the case is released by a drive current supplied from one of these connected devices so that the drawer tray slides out and opens.
FIG. 5 shows the cash drawer locking mechanism described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2000-172950.
As shown in FIG. 5, this cash drawer locking mechanism has a linkage unit 116, a drawer lock mechanism 117, a drawer tray 118, a spring 119, a plunger 120 (actuator), a spring 121, and a fastening hook 122. The linkage unit 116 couples the plunger 120 and the drawer lock mechanism 117. When a specific voltage is applied to a solenoid (coil) 115, current flows through the solenoid (coil) 115, and the plunger is driven and moves in the direction disengaging the lock. When the plunger 120 moves in the direction disengaging the lock, the drawer lock mechanism 117 rotates counterclockwise pivoting on a center point, and the lock engaged with the drawer tray 118 is disengaged by the drawer lock mechanism 117. The drawer tray 118 is pushed to the right in FIG. 5 (the opening direction) and pops to the outside at this time as a result of the urging force of the spring 119 so that the user can insert or remove money. The cash drawer is locked as a result of the user simply pushing the drawer tray 118 into the case. At this time a protrusion from the drawer tray 118 contacts the drawer lock mechanism 117, and the drawer lock mechanism 117 rotates counterclockwise as it is pushed up. As the drawer tray 118 is pushed further inside, the drawer lock mechanism 117 rides over the protrusion and then pivots clockwise, catches (engages) the protrusion, and locks.
The coil resistance and other aspects of the cash drawer described above are set according to the specifications of a specific POS printer (or POS terminal). If the specifications of the specific POS printer (or POS terminal) change, the specifications of the cash drawer may also change. In addition, a particular cash drawer is typically assigned to each cashier in a store in order to prevent theft, for example, and when one clerk switches with another, the clerks must appropriately remove or install their own cash drawer, or the cash drawer may be connected to the POS printer (or POS terminal) only when the store is open and removed for security when the store is closed.
System components may also be replaced with different components when the system is upgraded or when a device fails. When a plurality of POS printers (or POS terminals) with different specifications from different manufacturers or device models are used in the same store, there may also be multiple cash drawers with different specifications. Specific examples of different specifications include the drive voltage and the drive current of the POS printer (or POS terminal) drive circuit.
The coil resistance of the cash drawer is determined according to the specifications of these other devices. Mistakenly connecting a cash drawer to a POS printer (POS terminal) having different specifications can therefore cause an equipment failure or other problem. As a result, POS printers (POS terminals) according to the related art typically have an overcurrent protection device such as a fuse disposed in the cash drawer drive circuit, and if a cash drawer with different specifications (outside the rated tolerance) is connected, the fuse blows and protects against overcurrent flowing to the POS printer (POS terminal) or cash drawer.
However, when protection is provided by an overcurrent protection device such as a fuse according to the related art and the overcurrent protection device works (such as when the fuse blows), the overcurrent protection device cannot be reset and the printer, for example, stops working. The user (checkout clerk, for example) does not know why the device stopped working, and must call a technician or repairman to determine why the printer, for example, stopped working or inspect and repair the device. While the printer, for example, is being inspected and repaired (such as while replacing the fuse), that printer cannot be used.